Efficiency of mycorrhizal fungi for seed germination and protocorms development of commercial Cattleya species (Orchidaceae).

Orchidaceae is one of the largest plant families and stands out for its wide variety of flowers with ornamental and environmental importance. Cattleya is one of the main commercial genera, presenting a great diversity of species and hybrids that attract the attention of collectors, orchid enthusiasts, and consumers. In their natural environment, orchids associate with mycorrhizal fungi, which are responsible for providing carbon and other nutrients during seed germination.

Macaw palm is a harbor of new non-grass species of dark septate endophytes belonging to the genus Pseudophialophora (Magnaporthaceae).

Macaw palm (Acrocomia aculeata) is an oleaginous crop native to Brazil with significant economic and environmental value. It has been explored commercially in Brazil within sustainable management. The microbiota associated with macaw palm is still little known and there is no report about their root's fungal endophytes.

Phytophthora heterospora is the causal agent of black rot disease on the orchid Cattleya leopoldii in Brazil.

Widely produced and marketed worldwide, orchids suffers from several diseases that have a negative effect on production. Black rot disease is among the most common and severe disease, characterized by black spots of rot on leaves, pseudobulbs and roots, which usually lead to the plant death. The world literature lists some Phytophthora species as causal agents of the disease, but there is no advanced study on the etiology of this disease in Brazil, which makes it difficult to determine an efficient control method.

Deep-ocean macrofaunal assemblages on ferromanganese and phosphorite-rich substrates in the Southern California Borderland.

Mineral-rich hardgrounds, such as ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorites, occur on seamounts and continental margins, gaining attention for their resource potential due to their enrichment in valuable metals in some regions. This study focuses on the Southern California Borderland (SCB), an area characterized by uneven and heterogeneous topography featuring FeMn crusts, phosphorites, basalt, and sedimentary rocks that occur at varying depths and are exposed to a range of oxygen concentrations. Due to its heterogeneity, this region serves as an optimal setting for investigating the relationship between mineral-rich hardgrounds and benthic fauna.

Protocol for the preclinical evaluation of gut barrier function and immune interaction in an HT-29/PBMC co-culture model.

Here, we present a protocol for the pre-clinical evaluation of gut barrier function and immune interaction in an HT-29/PBMC co-culture model. We describe steps for culturing HT-29 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), assembling the co-culture model, and testing cell viability. We then detail procedures for performing efficacy tests through stress challenges and barrier permeability assays.